Creamy Oven-Baked Polenta Recipe

Name: Creamy Oven-Baked Polenta Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 0 tbsp Butter (butter for greasing + 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil); 1 cup Cornmeal (1 cup medium-coarse or coarse cornmeal, preferably stone-ground); 4 cup Water (4 to 5 cups water, see notes — up to 5); 1 cup Whole Milk (1 cup milk); 1 tsp Kosher Salt (1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste); 0 pieces Egg (eggs for poaching); 0 pieces Vinegar (splash vinegar); 0 pieces Parmesan Cheese (shaved parmesan, for serving, optional) — optional; 0 pieces Sea Salt (sea salt, pepper, truffle oil for serving, optional) — optional; 0 pieces Greens (sautéed greens alongside, optional) — optional

Creamy Oven-Baked Polenta Recipe - Side Dish (Italian)

55 minItalian

Servings6

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Vegetarian
Pescatarian
Halal

Steps

1Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven. Pour in the cornmeal, water, milk, butter, and salt, and stir with a fork or whisk until blended. The mixture will not look emulsified.
2Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Stir the polenta, taste, add salt if needed, and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes or longer—until it reaches the desired consistency you like. Remove from the oven, stir, and serve immediately or cover and keep warm until you are ready to serve.
3To poach eggs: bring a shallow saucepan filled with water to a boil. Crack eggs into individual ramekins or small bowls. Add a splash of vinegar to the water. Lower the heat so that the water is barely simmering—it should barely be moving. Slowly lower each ramekin to the water and pour out each egg. Set a timer for 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to lift egg out to test for doneness—the whites should be completely set; the yolk should feel soft to touch. This will take practice—after you make one or two, you will know by touch if the egg is done to your liking. I typically poach eggs for 4 to 5 minutes, but the length of time changes depending on how many eggs I am cooking at one time. Note, too, that you may have to adjust the heat level to keep the water at a bare simmer. When the eggs are done, transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain briefly.
4To serve
5To serve: Spoon polenta into bowls. Top with shavings of parmesan, if desired, and top each mound of polenta with a poached egg. Season with a pinch of sea salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with truffle oil, if desired. Serve with greens on the side, if desired.